Holland City Tour

Bike and Barge Tour Holland: Grand Tour of Holland | MS Angela Esmee

During this grand tour of Holland you will visit all major cities and highlights in the north and west of the Netherlands by bicycle and boat. The trip starts and ends in the capital Amsterdam. You can discover the diverse flat polder land on numerous cycle paths and quiet country roads. See the green rural area north of Amsterdam, the beach and dunes along the North Sea and romantic harbor towns on the IJsselmeer coast during wonderful cycling tours. Many guests consider a visit to the very cycle-friendly island Texel among the highlights of the trip. You will also cross the large lake IJsselmeer to Stavoren, to visit the southwestern part of Friesland. Other highlights during this part of the tour include the Waterland region, the "Zaanse Schans" open air museum, Enkhuizen with the Zuiderzee Museum and the old city centers of Alkmaar, Medemblik, Hoorn and Volendam. You will also visit the most well-known historical cities and towns in the west of the Netherlands, picturesque little villages and the beautiful scenery of the "Green Heart of Holland",to the south of Amsterdam. Highlights during this part of the trip include Amsterdam with its beautiful canals, the cathedral city of Utrecht, the port of Rotterdam, Delft with its famous Delft Blue factories, the cheese city of Gouda, the 19 windmills at Kinderdijk (UNESCO Heritage Site), the silver city of Schoonhoven, the beautiful city center of Haarlem and the dunes and North Sea beach.

You will reside and stay in the same cabin for two weeks on board the ship ANGELA ESMEE, which has for many years been a very popular vessel for bike-boat holidays. Depending on your travel dates in 2017 you have the choice of a week of North Holland followed by a week South Holland (5x) or first South Holland and then North Holland (5x).

YOUR ADVANTAGES:

• All highlights of Holland during one tour

• No change of ship, nor cabin

During the Grand Tour of Holland, on both days when a visit to the "Zaanse Schans" open air museum is planned, on board we will offer additional optional cycling tours, through some villages of the Waterland area, to avoid that guests will see the Zaanse Schans twice.

MS Angela Esmee

The ship Angela Esmee caters for approx. 80 guests in total comfort and is your floating hotel and restaurant during your cycling cruise. The vessel has 10 cabins on the upper deck (supplement) and 31 cabins on the lower deck (approx. 9 M² = 97 square feet) with en-suite bath room (shower+ toilet), 2 single beds next to each other and (partial centrally regulated) air conditioning and an automated ventilation system. All cabins have a window (the windows in the upper deck cabins can be opened; the windows on the lower deck are for security reasons fixed). There are a limited number of single, triple and quadruple cabins (3rd and 4th beds as bunk beds). In 2012 the ship was extended by 16 meters and 10 new twin cabins were created which are located at the front of the lower deck. During the winter of 2015/2016 all cabins on the upper deck and the remaining cabins on the lower deck were renovated. The salon / lounge area features large windows, a separate restaurant area, a bar, and in the front of the ship, a large lounge area with seats, tables and full glass panoramic windows where you can relax and also use the Wi-Fi network. The large and partially roofed sundeck of the 78 meter-long ship is equipped with tables and chairs and there is a separate deck to store the bikes. In short, the Angela Esmee is perfectly set up to host boat & bike tours. The Angela Esmee has its own bikes on board; some of these feature hand brakes and a back pedal brake and some have hand brakes only, on request. There are bikes with various frame heights. Children's bikes, e-bikes and tandems are also available on request. After four weeks use the bikes will be taken out of circulation for a week for maintenance purposes.

Tour 1: North-Holland Route | MS Angela Esmee

Tour Details Holland:

Day 1 (Sat): Embarkation: Amsterdam

Embarkation and check-in starts at 2 PM in Amsterdam (centre). Take the opportunity to go shopping or explore downtown Amsterdam, world famous for its canals, its quirky 'leaning' buildings, museums, the Anne Frank House, the Waterlooplein Flea Market, the Dam Square in the historical center and heart of the city. A canal tour is a unique way to see the capital of Holland from another side. Welcome meeting, cocktail, dinner and first briefing on board. First night on board in Amsterdam.

You will cycle out of Amsterdam via a well maintained cycling track. Very soon you will leave the city and cycle through the green area of Waterland and the recreational area of Twiske to the open air museum 'Zaanse Schans' with its beautiful windmills, traditional wooden houses, an old Dutch village, a cheese farm and a traditional wooden clog maker. After exploring the museum continue just a few more miles to Zaandam. If you want to take a detour, opt for an additional cycling tour through various small villages in the Waterland area. The afternoon and evening are yours to explore and enjoy Zaandam.

Your second day of cycling leads you pedaling through the beautiful flat and green polder landscape via small villages. This "Land of Leeghwater" is a scenic green area located between the cities of Amsterdam, Alkmaar and Hoorn. Leeghwater was a 17th Century scientist, who invented a revolutionary system to reclaim marshland from the sea by pumping out water with a system of windmills, smaller and larger canals. Today's destination is the city of Alkmaar, where the Angela Esmee will be waiting for you with a hot shower, a good glass of wine, a cool beer and a delicious meal. During dinner the ship will navigate the Noordhollands Kanaal to the naval port of Den Helder.

During breakfast the Angela Esmee will cross the Marsdiep, a deep tide-race between Den Helder and Texel Island to the harbor of Oudeschild.** You will quickly understand why the island of Texel is a favorite destination for many tourists as you cycle around this enchanting Dutch island. Charming villages, beautiful beaches and areas of natural importance are crisscrossed by a network of cycling tracks, making all areas of the island easily accessible. Swim at one of the wide sandy beaches, visit the seal sanctuary "Ecomare" and/ or cycle the beautiful "Thijsse-route" (with signposting, approx. 25 miles) through picturesque villages and landscapes. At the end of your cycling tour yua can enjoy a locally brewed beer during a visit to the small brewery in the harbor of Oudeschild. In the evening the Angela Esmee will return to Den Oever on the mainland. The highlight of the evening will be a night of live music on board.

The vessel will cross the large inland lake IJsselmeer to sail to Stavoren in the Province of Friesland. You can opt for a shorter or longer cycling tour: discover the nature area of Gaasterland or explore a part of the wide lake district, that Friesland is well-known for. You can also combine both options. Night in Stavoren, one of the famous 11 cities of Friesland.

Sail to Medemblik during breakfast. Take the short pedaling from Medemblik along the Ijsselmeer (former "Zuiderzee") coast directly to Enkhuizen, where you can spend the afternoon. Enkhuizen is an old city with many centuries of maritime tradition. The "herring city" boasts a beautiful old harbor, an historical old town center and the very interesting "Zuiderzeemuseum". If you prefer a longer cycling tour, ride from Medemblik to the former Dutch East India Company town of Hoorn, in the 17th century one of the world's leading harbors and name giver of Cape Horn. Enjoy your lunch break and make a short stroll of the old city. Continue by bike through some picturesque rural villages to Enkhuizen. In the evening enjoy a short city walking tour incl. a visit of a traditional cheese shop with presentation and cheese tasting.

During breakfast the ship will sail to Volendam. Your final day of cycling will lead you through the beautiful area of 'Waterland' with its hundreds of small lakes and tiny canals. Recommended (extra miles) is a detour to the former island of Marken, to continue through the water shaped region of Waterland back to the Dutch capital city of Amsterdam. The afternoon and evening are
yours to enjoy everything Amsterdam has to offer. If you didn't go for a canal tour on the first day, you will have the opportunity to do so today

• Use of bed linen and towels (change of towels daily possible); daily light cleaning of the cabin

• Full cleaning of cabin incl. change of bed sheets on 2nd Saturday of the tour

• Welcoming drink and -speech on the first evening

• Experienced and local Tour leader (multilingual incl. English) with daily briefings of the bike tours, some short city tours, during the day the tour leader is cycling the daily bike tour and can be reached on his/her cell phone

• Printed instructions and detailed maps for the daily bike tours, 1 set per cabin